Specifically, prophylactic oral hBD-2 treatment of HDM-sensitized mice lowered the production of an array of classical asthma associated cytokines, namely TNF-α, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, and IL-13, in lung tissue of exposed mice subsequent to HDM challenge and concomitantly reduced lung resistance after methacholine-challenge. The gene discussed is IL5; the disease is asthma.